Despite funding end, merger advocates continue to push for consolidation of more N.J. towns
A citizens group that promotes municipal consolidation is pushing for more New Jersey towns to merge.
And while state grants for studies to consider merging ended during the Corzine administration because many of those consulting projects did not lead to consolidation, the executive director of Courage to Connect New Jersey is looking for other ways of funding merger efforts.
“As a nonprofit nonpartisan group, we’re going around and we’re figuring out how we can make it work,” said Gina Genovese. “We’re going to look for foundations. We’re going to look for institutions to do it. We can’t be stopped because there isn’t money.”
Genovese expects citizen initiatives will be the driving force for municipal consolidation among the state’s 566 municipalities.
Residents of Princeton Township and Borough voted last year to combine.
Potential mergers of Cherry Hill with Merchantville and Scotch Plains with Fanwood also are under discussion.
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